Double packer apparatus

ABSTRACT

A double packer apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention may include a first guide unit provided in a borehole within a ground, a second guide unit provided within the ground to cover an external surface of the first guide unit, a packer unit to support the second guide unit in the borehole, and seal a portion of an area provided within the ground, and a photographing unit to enter the first guide unit and photograph the ground, wherein a portion of the external surface of the first guide unit includes a transparent window for photographing the ground. A ground may be investigated directly using a configuration described in the foregoing, thereby contributing to an enhancement of efficiency.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a double packer apparatus, and more particularly, to a double packer apparatus that may contribute to an enhancement of efficiency by photographing a state of a ground directly.

2. Description of the Related Art

To perform hydraulic testing to investigate a hydraulic characteristic within a ground, or hydraulic shearing to enhance permeability of the ground, a packer apparatus may be provided in a target area within a tubular well. In general, the packer apparatus may perform the hydraulic testing and the hydraulic shearing on the ground by providing water to the target area after sealing the tubular well and measuring a variation of a water pressure within an area being investigated.

To determine an efficiency of the hydraulic shearing while accurately analyzing the hydraulic characteristic within the ground, the target area may be investigated directly. However, a general packer apparatus may be unable to photograph the target area directly since the target area is sealed by a packer in a closed state. Thus, an inaccurate observation may be performed for the target area, thereby causing a decrease in efficiency of the hydraulic testing and the hydraulic shearing.

SUMMARY

To resolve issues described in the foregoing, an aspect of the present invention provides a double packer apparatus that may enhance an efficiency of hydraulic testing and hydraulic shearing by investigating a ground directly.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a double packer apparatus including a first guide unit provided in a borehole within a ground, a second guide unit provided within the ground to cover an external surface of the first guide unit, a packer unit to support the second guide unit in the borehole, and seal a portion of an area provided within the ground, and a photographing unit to enter the first guide unit, and photograph the ground, wherein a portion of the external surface of the first guide unit includes a transparent window for photographing the ground.

The first guide unit and the second guide unit may have hollow guide pipes having different diameters on concentric circles.

The second guide unit may include an open portion in which an area facing the transparent window is formed to be open.

The double packer apparatus may further include an injection unit to inject water into the second guide unit.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a double packer apparatus including a first guide unit provided in a borehole within a ground, and having a transparent window on a portion of an external surface, a second guide unit, provided within the ground to cover an external surface of the first guide unit, in which a portion of an area facing the transparent window is penetrated, a packer unit to support the second guide unit in the borehole, and seal a portion of an area provided within the ground, and a photographing unit to enter the first guide unit, and photograph the ground at a location facing the transparent window.

The first guide unit and the second guide unit may have hollow guide pipes having different diameters on concentric circles.

The double packer apparatus may further include an injection unit to inject water into the second guide unit.

The transparent window may be formed using an acrylic material.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to contribute to an enhancement of efficiency by photographing a ground directly since a photographing unit may photograph a state within the ground through a transparent window.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine whether hydraulic shearing is effective, and whether a physical property such as a porosity of an aquifer changes during hydraulic testing by investigating a ground directly, thereby contributing to an enhancement of reliability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a double packer apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. Exemplary embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a double packer apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a double packer apparatus 1 according to embodiments of the present invention may include a first guide unit 10, a second guide unit 20, a packer unit 30, and a photographing unit 40. The double packer apparatus 1 may be provided in a borehole H within a ground G, and perform hydraulic testing or hydraulic shearing of the ground G.

The first guide unit 10 may be provided in the borehole H within the ground G. Here, the first guide unit 10 may have a circular cross section, and include a hollow guide pipe. Further, a portion of an external surface of the first guide unit 10 may include a transparent window 11 formed using an acrylic material. The transparent window 11 may be disposed to face a physically changing area, indicated by a line F of FIG. 1, of the ground G.

The second guide unit 20 may be provided within the ground G to cover the external surface of the first guide unit 10. In this instance, the second guide unit 20 may have a different diameter from a diameter of the first guide unit 10 on concentric circles, and include a hollow guide pipe. That is, the first guide unit 10 and the second guide unit 20 may be provided on concentric circles, and a diameter of the second guide unit 20 may be formed to be greater than the diameter of the first guide unit 10 to cover the external surface of the first guide unit 10, and support the first guide unit 10. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the second guide unit 20 may include an open portion 21 in which an area facing the transparent window 11 included in the first guide unit 10 is formed to be penetrated and open. A state of the ground G is exposed by the open portion 21.

The packer unit 30 may support the second guide unit in the borehole, and seal a portion of an area provided within the ground. To seal the portion of the area, the packer unit 30 may have a dual structure including a first packer 31 and a second packer 32. The transparent window 11 included in the first guide unit 10 and the open portion 21 included in the second guide unit 20 may be provided to face a sealed space between the first packer 31 and the second packer 32.

The photographing unit 40 may enter the first guide unit 10, and photograph the ground G. The photographing unit 40 may be controlled by being connected to a controller 41 provided in an external portion of the ground G. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the photographing unit 40 may enter the first guide unit 10 to face the transparent window 11 of the first guide unit 10. In this instance, since the open portion 21 may be formed in the second guide unit 20 to face the transparent window 11, the photographing unit 40 may photograph, through the transparent window 11 and the open portion 21, a state of the ground G outside of the first guide unit 10 and the second guide unit 20 directly. A physical property of the ground G may be investigated directly using information photographed by the photographing unit 40.

The double packer apparatus 1 according to embodiments of the present invention may include an injection unit 50 to inject water into the second guide unit 20. The water injected by the injection unit 50 may be guided to the ground G side through the open portion 21 within the second guide unit 20, thereby performing hydraulic testing and hydraulic shearing for the ground G.

An operation of measuring a state of the ground G performed by the double packer apparatus 1 according to embodiments of the present invention having a configuration described in the foregoing will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, the photographing unit 40 may enter the first guide unit 10 provided within the borehole H in the ground G. In this instance, the photographing unit 40 may enter the first guide unit 10 provided with the borehole H to arrive at a location facing the transparent window 11 included in the first guide unit 10. The photographing unit 40 may photograph a state of the ground G directly through the open portion 21 of the second guide unit 20 facing the transparent window 11.

Independent of the ground G being photographed by the photographing unit 40, water provided through the injection unit 50 may be provided to the second guide unit 20, and be injected to the ground G through the open portion 21. In this instance, the injected water may not flow into the first guide unit 10 having the transparent window 11, in a closed state.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents. 

1. A double packer apparatus, comprising: a first guide unit provided in a borehole within a ground; a second guide unit provided within the ground to cover an external surface of the first guide unit; a packer unit to support the second guide unit in the borehole, and to seal a portion of an area provided within the ground; a photographing unit to enter the first guide unit, and photograph the ground, wherein a portion of the external surface of the first guide unit includes a transparent window for photographing the ground, the second guide unit includes an open portion that is oriented to face the transparent window of the first guide unit, and an injection unit constructed to inject water into the open portion of the second guide unit.
 2. The double packer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first guide unit and the second guide unit have hollow guide pipes having different diameters on concentric circles.
 3. (canceled)
 4. (canceled)
 5. A double packer apparatus, comprising: a first guide unit provided in a borehole within a ground, and having a transparent window on a portion of an external surface; a second guide unit, provided within the ground to cover an external surface of the first guide unit, in which a portion of an area facing the transparent window is penetrated; a packer unit to support the second guide unit in the borehole, and seal a portion of an area provided within the ground; a photographing unit to enter the first guide unit, and photograph the ground at a location facing the transparent window, and an injection unit constructed to inject water into the open portion of the second guide unit.
 6. The double packer apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first guide unit and the second guide unit have hollow guide pipes having different diameters on concentric circles.
 7. (canceled)
 8. The double packer apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transparent window is formed using an acrylic material. 